Sunday, November 25, 2012

The last couple weeks have been just great. It has been raining almost everyday, but since we are warm and cozy inside that hasn't been a problem. I am still riding my bike back and forth to work. Since the highway is dark now in the mornings and at night I put the bike in the back of the truck and drive it to the other side of the lake to an intersection where the lights on the roads start. It is only half the ride - so 10 miles per day - but that is fine with me. I still get the exercise I need. I noticed other riders on the road were even more brighter than me with their flashing lights so I put a couple more of those on the bike, and I was quite pleased when a man on the sidewalk that I was skirting around complimented me on how "mega bright" I was. In an odd way, that is a great compliment. :-) But I really don't want to give up the riding no matter how cold it gets because it makes me feel so good mentally and physically.

One wonderful thing about walking Harvey and Pearl in the morning and night is meeting people and their dogs along the way. There is one elderly lady that has had cancer for the last couple years and her hip replaced. So when I initially met her she was walking her dog with her walker - faithfully everyday,over the railway tracks and up through the industrial section on the hill. Slow but doing what she needed to do. Her dog is a Cardigan Corgi. Well he always has the most beautiful sweaters on. His sweaters make Harvey and Pearl's sweaters and coats look like pauper clothing. So I got talking to her last night - now she walks with a cane...still slow and drags one of her legs a bit, but they are both out there which is the important thing. I wanted to ask her where she got his clothing. She said she hand-makes everything for him! She knits him buffalo sweaters and every other kind you can imagine. Anyway, I am kind of thinking maybe I will give that a try too as it sounds kinda fun. :-)

I was talking to another inspiring person this week too - one of my students from Quebec. At the college we get 99.9% of the time uni students. But this lady was in her mid 60s. She decided she wanted to learn English and got in her car and drove across the country. Her husband couldn't come so he stayed home for 3 months to hold down the fort while she went into Homestay. The interesting part for me is that she has Parkinson Disease. So she would study with all the other students but dealt with the shaking at the same time. Last week she left the program a couple weeks early. Her husband flew out to drive back with her. She was very apologetic, but I was telling her that I thought it was incredible that she decided to live life with zest regardless of what she was dealing with. Her other choice would be to stay home and not venture out again, and live the rest of her life with a remote control in her hand. I really admire people that despite problems that would hold others back just live life to the full. When they die, they will die with "their boots on" doing something they love. :-)

Okay, here are a couple pics of the fur-kids enjoying life on the cold mornings. As you can tell there are A LOT of huge quilts on our bed - my theory is big and fluffy equals comfy, and lots of hiding places for Harvey and Pearl. :-)

Monday, November 12, 2012

Snow is here! Very pretty. One of the prettiest creations by Jehovah I think. Time for crusty icy windows on our little ice palace...and staying inside, at least for today. :-) It was minus 8 this weekend, but nice and cozy inside.

Just a few pics to show what a wonderful day it is.

1) Harvey laughing at me from bed when I suggested we go for a walk.

2) The path I cut across the yard with the snow shovel so that Harvey and Pearl could go across the yard comfortably to do their "business". No need to exert myself by doing the whole yard. ;-)

Friday, November 2, 2012

Sitting here after getting off SKYPE with my Chinese studies. The internet was crazy tonight so it was a hard go for the study, but everyone of them was so enthusiastic I still feel like it was a success. They are always so well prepared, and now that jw.org has all the information, online Bible, books and all recordings in one central place it makes it so easy for everyone to participate. Absolutely loving the study.

This week was good at work too. One young man who studies with me for about six months returned to the school with a big box of 50 cookies for me today. He hit it dead bang on because I really do love chocolate chip cookies...not sure a box of 50 is a good present for single person, but I will just have to share. He came by to say thank you. While he was studying with me he was a handful. He would stand up in class almost daily and say "I hate you" because I would ask him to do homework and say things properly. At the time he couldn't understand why, and he would stand up, fold his arms across his chest, and repeat those words. I would respond with "I can live with that", or "I love you too, let's keep going". But he actually was serious. Anyway, he is now finished his studies and heading back to Japan for his regular university studies and came by to thank me for pushing him hard. It is always the most difficult ones that make the biggest dent in my heart.